Felicity Huffman was nominated for an Oscar after playing a transgender woman in 2005’s ‘Transamerica’, Jared Leto won a best supporting actor Oscar for playing a trans woman in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’, and Jeffrey Tambor won two Emmys for his role as a transgender woman in the TV series ‘Transparent’.

After being accused of “ciswashing”, Scarlett issued a statement to LGBT lifestyle publication Out on Friday (13 July) stating she had withdrawn from the project and admitted her original statement had been “insensitive”.

“Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realise it was insensitive.

“I have great admiration and love for the trans community and am grateful that the conversation regarding inclusivity in Hollywood continues.”

She added: “While I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dante’s story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person, and I am thankful that this casting debate, albeit controversial, has sparked a larger conversation about diversity and representation in film.

“I believe that all artists should be considered equally and fairly.”

It’s not the first time Scarlett Johansson has been at the centre of controversy after being cast in a major movie.

She took the lead role in 2017’s ‘Ghost In The Shell’ – playing Major Motoko Kusanagi - who was Japanese in the original manga series, resulting in accusations of ‘whitewashing’.